Laughing While I Sing, Smiling In My Sleep
by Jasmine James
Summary: Sodapop Curtis isn't ready for a relationship. End of story. Neither is Quinn Saunders, though when they are both pushed into dating can they become friends? Or maybe something more? Rated T mainly for swearing. I do not own The Outsiders.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay! New story! I'm excited! Just let me know what you think! I should have the next chapter up soon! That you to my amazing beta, _ponygurl51090_. **

**Also I would like to thank Chase01 for just letting me ramble on to her while writing this. THANK YOU! You rock for putting up with that.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the outsiders or the song Catch Me by Demi Lovato "Laughing While I sing Smiling in my sleep" are her lyrics from her song.**

**-Jasmine**

Steve Randle was done. He was just done with all of this SHIT! Yes. Johnny and Dallas died. But that happened TWO MONTHS AGO! GET OVER IT! He wasn't asking for everyone to be happy that they were gone but _really_! Don't let to rule your life! Look at the kid! He is just spending all his time in his room, locked away doing God knows what. Sure, his best buddy is gone but he needs to live. Doesn't he know how much he is worrying his brothers? Glory! All that kid does is have his head in the clouds! Doesn't that mean he is thinking? Why doesn't he think about what this is doing to his brothers?

His brothers. Steve was so angry with Soda. He needed to live! Yes. Sandy left him. She for PG and hightailed it off to Florida! Good for her. Soda needs to forget about it! He has all those girl swarming him at work, why doesn't he ask one out?

Steve was just done. That is why he made a plan. Some people call it butting in. Clearly they have NOT seen how depressed Soda was been. Steve was talking matters into his own hands. He was going to be a good best buddy and set his friend up on a date. He wouldn't be alone though. (That might be "too much" for him...) He was going on a double date with Steve and Evie. That only problem... Yeah... Soda didn't know this just yet. Hey! It wasn't his fault! Steve just didn't really know how to tell him. Soda tends to get a bit... defensive... whenever you talk about him dating. He set him up with a real nice girl though. She was Evie's cousin who was staying with her from the summer. Her name was Quinn, she was 16 and Evie said was a really looker. Steve wasn't to sure about that last part seeing as he had never met her but Evie assured him that Soda would love her and that was good enough.

"Hey Buddy!" Steve called walking over to Soda by the gas pumps. The girls had FINALLY left and Soda seemed to be in a good mood today. He was hoping he could break the news and not get hit by anything. Soda turned to him, that good old grin on his face. It was the first real one he'd seen in a while.

"What's going on Steve-o?" Steve playfully hit Soda on the shoulder and laughed at the silly nick name. Soda had been calling him that since grade school. You bring jell-o to school ONCE...

"I was thinking out could come with me to Margret's tomorrow night." Steve told him. Soda sighed.

"Steve, that's a date place. Wouldn't it be kind of weird..."

"Naw man! We wont be alone." Steve started to fiddle with his hands... Maybe Soda wont freak out.

Maybe he'll think it's a good idea...

"What do you mean..." Soda asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Well I'll be with Evie and you can go with Quinn." He told him. Soda let out a loud sigh and rolled his eyes.

"Steve. I don't want to go on a date." Steve groaned.

"Come on man! Just this once! I am BEGGING you." Soda sighed.

"Fine." He told him after a while, "Who is this Quinn girl anyways?" Steve smiled.

"Cousin of Evie's. She's here for the summer. You lucked out man, Evie says she's a real looker!" Soda smiled at him.  
"I believe I'll be the judge of that!"

…

Quinn Saunders couldn't possible be more angry with her cousin. She couldn't believe the nerve Evie had! Evie had, naturally, heard all about Quinn's relationship with Brad. Brad was a sweet guy. He was all Quinn could ever want and then some. He was just a few inches taller then her 5'6" with short brown hair and green eyes shades darker than her own light green. They were the schools it couple and everything was great. That was until they broke up two weeks ago. Brad had cheated on her with some girl from out of town. Quinn had called Evie up first thing to talk about what had happened. She was crushed and everything seemed to remind her of him. That was when Evie told her to come up for the summer, to get her mind off of things. Quinn had only been there for a week now but was still happier than she had been in Texas with Brad. Though that seemed to change pretty fast.

If Quinn had known her darling cousin was going to set her up she never would have come. She wasn't ready! She had only broken up with him two weeks ago. She needed time to heal, she had been going with him for 15 months! That takes time to forget! She looked horrible too. She had been eating ice cream and laying around, she wasn't ready for a date. Her dirty blonde hair would take hours to fix, her skin was in desperate need of some moisturizer, her nails were chipped and she didn't have any nice cloths! You know what that worst part was? That date? Was only a day away. How would she going to get ready? Better yet, how was she going to act attractive? She couldn't even go an hour without crying over Brad. Goodness she was pathetic. She needed to move on. Brad was probably already out there, kissing another girl.

"Evie!" Quinn yelled down the stairs.

"Yea?" She called back up.

"Will you come up here?" The blonde asked her dark haired cousin. Said cousin soon appeared in the door way of the guest room where Quinn was staying.

"What?" Evie asked again. Quinn took a deep breath.

"I was your help." She told her. Evie smiled at her, giving a knowing look though still asking,

"With what?" Quinn fingered her hair and looked down at her cloths before turning back to her cousin.

"That boy I'm seeing tomorrow, Sodapop, I want to look great." Evie smiled.

"Honey, that is going to take a lot of work."

"Good thing we still have a day then." Quinn laughed. Evie laughed along with her and grabbed her purse.

"Come on!" She called heading downstairs. A confused Quinn followed.

"Where are we going?" She asked.

"To the mall! You need a new outfit!" Quinn groaned and followed her out the door.

What was she getting herself into?


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay! I'm back. I am so sorry I haven't updated in forever. I have no excuse, I was just being lazy. Shame on me. Please review! I'll try and update ASAP. Thanks for reading!**

**-Jasmine**

**Ps. Put some more Steve in here, goodness, I love writing him!**

Soda was starting to regret saying he'd go on a blind date. Even when he had _wanted_ to date he thought they were stupid. When Steve walked in thing only got worse.

"So, I met Quinn. You're lucky, she's a real looker." Steve said. Truth be told, Steve was getting really worried. This Quinn girl looked a ton like Sandy. Like Soda really needed to be reminded of why he had a broken heart. Not like Steve would know what THAT was like but he had seen it in movies. Not like a girl would ever think of dumping Steve Randle. He was Steve Randle, everyone wanted a piece of him. He was just so amazingly perfect! It would a wonder girls haven't kidnapped him yet... Wait. What were we talking about? Oh, yeah,... Soda's girl problem, NOTHING Steve would ever know about...

Steve walked over and grabbed his friend's elbow.

"Come on," Steve told him, "We're going to be late. We have to go meet the girls." Soda groaned at this. He had not interest in pretending to smile and acting like he was over Sandy. Then again, he really didn't have the energy to fight back and he had already promised him.

"Fine, I'm going." He said reluctantly and followed his best friend out. The car ride over was silent for Soda so Steve took the liberty of filling it with his pointless chatter.

When they pulled up Steve saw Evie and Quinn already there. The second Steve was out of the car Evie ran up and hugged him, giving him a kiss. Quinn walked past the couple awkwardly and stopped a few feet in front of Soda. Quinn groaned inwardly, he looked AMAZING. The only flaw on his perfect face was the faint sadness in his coffee brown eyes. He probably thought she was hideous. Evie had given her a make-over and she was wearing a short black skirt that went about 7 inches above her knee and red blouse that was way to tight for her liking. She, personally, thought she looked a little on the slutty side. He probably thought she was a whore and was disgusted with her. He just looked _so_... hot! Quinn tried her hardest not to swoon when he spoke.

"So, you're Quinn?" He asked. Quinn gave a shaky nod. Even his voice was sexy. Soda nodded and lead her in, following Steve.

Soda knew this was a bad idea. Quinn was like a second Sandy but a bit sluttier. Every time he looked at her he thought of Sandy and his heart broke again. How could Steve he so insensitive? Well, it is Steve... he had never been one for sensitivity...

"Oh!" Soda's ranting was cut short by the more horrible giggle...

Sodapop Curtis had always thought that the worse sound in the word was nails on a chalkboard but now he knew better.

That giggle.

"Oh, Soda! You're so funny!" Quinn laughed. Soda suppressed a shudder. He wasn't even trying to be funny. He wasn't even BEING funny! All he did was hand her a menu and say, "Here you go." So. Funny. Though, thankfully, Quinn's insufferable giggling was stopped short when the waiter walked up.

"Hello. My name is Ryan, and I'll be your server this evening. Can I start you off with a drink?" Everyone went around and ordered a coke but once he left Quinn got a whole lot quieter. Normally Soda would question this but that giggle was just so annoying... Plus, the less she spoke the less he looked at the and the less he thought of Sandy.

When the waiter came back with the drinks Soda heard Quinn's breathing shallow and uneven. Urg, now _that_ was annoying. Right after Ryan left Quinn excused herself to the bathroom. Except... she didn't go to the bathroom, she walked out the back. Soda payed no mind though. She was finally gone... just like Sandy.

Memories of him and her came flooding back. Their first date when he spilled his coke all over her and how she just laughed. She didn't giggle, she would never giggle. Before he knew it there was a large bump in his throat.

"I'll be right back." He told Steve. He gave him a concerned look. Well, a concerned look for Steve, he wasn't too good at comforting and such. Though he didn't say anything so Soda rushed out the door. He just needed some air. _Don't think about Sandy. Don't think about Sandy. Don't think about-_

"Shit." He cursed under his breath as the tears flowed down his face. He started to walk around and made it out back when he stopped short. Sandy was there crying on the floor. Wait. Not Sandy... _Quinn_. Sodapop's comforting nature overpowered his disgust for the horrible giggling girl as he sat down next to her.

"What's wrong?" He asked. She looked up at him, her green eyes (the only thing that made her different from Sandy) seemed scared and unsure. It was the look that had been in Sandy's eyes when she had told him he was pregnant.

"I just miss him so much..." She sobbed.

"Who?" Soda asked.

"BRAD!" Quinn yelled and cried as sobs rocked her body.

"Who's Brad?" Soda asked.

"My ex," she grumbled out, "we only broke up two weeks ago. I just need someone to love." She whispered . Soda was taken aback, a few weeks? Soda had wanted to die a few weeks after his break up. His break up. At the reminder of Sandy he cried with her. This was horrible.

"Why are-" She hiccuped, "you crying?"

"I'm still getting over San-" Soda didn't get to finish saying her name because just then Quinn kissed him. For a great moment he kissed back, tricking himself into thinking it was Sandy. For a little while he was able to but not for longer than a moment. It didn't work. He pushed back.

"I can't do this..." He whispered, "Bye." He added hastily before running off.

Steve Randle couldn't care less about where Quinn and Soda where. Quick exits... they were probably making out behind the restaurant. Steve was about to kiss Evie when someone grabbed his ear.

"What?" He yelled, turning around. Though he stopped short when he saw Soda's tear streaked face.

"Let's go." He said and pulled Steve away to the car. Evie gave a huff and grabbed Steve's other arm and pulled him back, giving Soda a glance that clearly said,"Wait in the car."

"Steve." She told him, "Listen up and listen good. You are fixing Soda and I'm fixing Quinn. I haven't been able to have any romantic time with you since Sandy ran off. Okay? Fix it! Until you do... You wont get to touch," She ran a hand down her figure,"this."

Steve groaned as he watched her grab Quinn and stalk off. Damn... He needed to fix this and fix this soon. Why did he have to give so much?

He really should get a medal.


End file.
